Community drug alert issued for Waterloo Region

After six overdose deaths in 12 days, a community drug alert has been issued for the area by the Waterloo Region Integrated Drug Strategy.

WRIDS says that there were six suspected drug overdose/poisoning-related deaths in the region between Jan. 10 and Jan. 22 with four occurring last week.

It notes that the drug checking program at the CTS site on Duke Street in downtown Kitchener has been testing fentanyl samples that have been found to contain alternative substances such as para-fluorofentanyl, bromazolam and xylazine.

“The unregulated drug supply is unpredictable and unexpected reactions may occur,” WRIDS warns. “Multiple doses of naloxone may be required.”

There were 46 overdose-related deaths in Waterloo Region in 2023, which was down from 89 a year earlier, according to data on the WRIDS website.

While deaths were down, calls to paramedics remain high as they answered 1,449 calls last year, which was up from 1,205 in 2022.